Bring on the Rain
by Hiei'sChick16
Summary: I AM SO SORRY THIS DIDN'T COME ON EARLIER! I am so so so so sooo lazy! More apologies inside. Anyway...this is the sequel to "I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You." Hope you enjoy it, though I doubt you will...but PLEASE read it anyway. PLEASE? Please?


***I am so, so, so sorry this story did not come out earlier!!!!! I've been so lazy! I should just be dragged away from fanfic forever, I am so lazy! I stopped typing for like a month because I was working on two OTHER stories! But now I am finished with one, so things are easier. Anyway, I'll just make this quick. We do not own any characters of Yu Yu Hakusho (that goes for I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You, too, in case I forgot to mention it) and we don't own the song "Bring on the Rain" either. The credit for that one goes to the songwriters and Jo Dee Messina. But we do own Adara, Heidi, and Hope. So...on with it, ya?***  
  
//Another day has almost come and gone  
  
Can't imagine what else could go wrong//  
  
~Adara's POV~  
  
It was almost twilight. In a few minutes I'd have to give up and go back to the Ningenkai. Go back and tell everyone that I'd had no luck.  
  
Sighing, I prepared to get in touch with Heidi through telepathy to tell her we should to back.  
  
But then I remembered Hope.  
  
I remembered how she'd gone off food entirely two weeks ago. I remembered how thin and frail she was now, and how the only reason she'd search was because we forced her.  
  
And I thought of how long it had been.  
  
Exactly two years and one week ago since Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei had disappeared. Two years since I'd seen my dimwit.  
  
And if I didn't find him soon, I wouldn't get my chance to kill him for leaving me.  
  
I set my jaw determinedly. I wasn't going to stop this time.  
  
And with that thought lodged firmly in my mind, I was off again, running flat-out through the trees, looking for any sign of Kurama, Hiei, or Yusuke.  
  
I wasn't really expecting to find them. We'd been searching Makai for two years, and none of us had ever found a thing. I only searched out of habit now, and a very faint hope that someday, when I least expected it, I might find them.  
  
So you can see why it came as a surprise to me when I heard a weak voice say from somewhere very nearby, "Adara."  
  
It was no more than a gasp, but I knew I'd heard it. "Uh...what? Who are you? And where are you?" I called out.  
  
"Over here...behind the tree..." the voice gasped. "And you...should...know...who it is."  
  
And I did, suddenly. I knew exactly who it was.  
  
"Y-Yusuke?"  
  
//Sometimes I'd like to hide away  
  
Somewhere and lock the door  
  
A single battle lost, but not the war//  
  
~Heidi's POV~  
  
I ran along a forest path, my breathing labored. I was trying as hard as I could to sense Kurama, Hiei, or Yusuke's ki. So far, I'd come up with exactly nil.  
  
Oh, Kurama, where are you? I wondered. Why haven't you come back to me? Are you hurt or locked away somewhere?  
  
That was when I felt it. A little spark of ki, very weak and faint, but close nonetheless. I stopped and focused on the spark. Where was it coming from?  
  
There. Behind those bushes.  
  
I ran over and pushed the branches aside...and gasped.  
  
"Hiei!"  
  
I pushed my way through the thick branches of the bush and dropped down at Hiei's side.  
  
He looked awful. His clothes were ripped and bloody, and there were numerous cuts and bruises, and probably broken bones, all over his body. His eyes were closed, and he was barely breathing.  
  
"Hiei! Hiei, wake up!" I said. I didn't want to touch him, in case it hurt him.  
  
Instead, I prepared to get in touch with my sister through telepathy. She could help.  
  
//'Cause tomorrow's another day  
  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
  
So bring on the rain//  
  
~Hope's POV~  
  
Why am I here? I wondered as I walked down the forest path. I can barely walk without staggering!  
  
And whose fault is that? An evil little voice said in my head.  
  
Hiei's! I answered.  
  
No, it's yours, the voice told me. If you hadn't stopped eating...  
  
And that little voice was right. It was my fault.  
  
But I didn't care. I just didn't feel like food anymore. I didn't feel like anything.  
  
Without Hiei, I just didn't want to do anything.  
  
I was thinking so hard I didn't see the body until I was right on top of it.  
  
At first I didn't know who it was. The person was facedown on the ground. His hair and clothes were covered in dirt. One of his legs was at a strange angle. Even though he wasn't facing up, I could see that he had quite a few cuts and slashes.  
  
Slowly, I turned him over.  
  
It was Kurama.  
  
And he was, quite obviously, unconscious.  
  
"Masaka!" I exclaimed. "Kurama?"  
  
I wasn't exactly sure what to do. His leg was obviously broken, and I knew very well not to move him. But how else was I supposed to get him to Adara?  
  
Problem? I think so.  
  
//It's almost like the hard times circle 'round  
  
A couple drops and they all start comin' down//  
  
~Adara's POV  
  
"Yusuke!" I cried out, falling down beside him. I looked him over and gasped. He looked awful. His clothes were in shreds, revealing slashes and bruises. His face was dirty and bruised, and his left arm hung at the weirdest angle. His face was screwed up in pain, but he smiled at me.  
  
"Please don't kill me yet," he whispered. "I've been punished enough, I promise."  
  
To my shame, I felt tears fight their way out of my eyes.  
  
Yusuke reached up to brush them away, but he stiffened and gave a little cry.  
  
"Don't move!" I scolded. "I have to take a look..."  
  
I was interrupted when Heidi entered my mind.  
  
Adara! I need your help fast! I've found Hiei, and he doesn't look good, she mind-spoke to me.  
  
But...I...I just found Yusuke, too. Is there any way to move him?  
  
No. I think he may have broken bones.  
  
I sighed. Okay, where are you?  
  
She sent me an image of a patch of very tall bushes beside the trail.  
  
I'll be there as soon as I can, I told her.  
  
Okay. And hurry, Adara.  
  
With that, Heidi left, and I turned my attention back to Yusuke.  
  
"Now, hold still, Yusuke." After a quick look inside him, I discovered...well, nothing very good. "A lot of these cuts are deep, and these bruises too. And this..." I touched his shoulder very gently, and he inhaled sharply. "This is bad. I won't be able to put it exactly right...not if I'm gonna help Hiei, too...and it'll hurt. But just lie still, okay?"  
  
"O-okay," he gasped.  
  
Well, you know how all this went from the previous healings. I released healthy energy into his cuts and bruises, but I also held back a lot more this time. I only healed the worst cuts. The rest Yukina could stitch up. I healed the worst bruises, too, and then I went to the hard part.  
  
I heard Yusuke gasp as I started to use my energy to pull loose bone fragments back into place, repair the injured muscle, and heal cracks in the bone, and he shifted a little. "Stay still, stay still," I murmured. My voice seemed to be coming from faraway, as if it wasn't quite a part of me.  
  
Yusuke had passed out by the time I finished, but his bones and muscles were whole again. I lifted his uninjured arm and slung it over my shoulder, then went to find my sister and Hiei.  
  
//Yeah, I might feel defeated  
  
I might hang my head  
  
I might be barely breathing, but I'm not dead//  
  
~Heidi's POV~  
  
"Come on, Adara," I muttered, looking down at Hiei. He looked awful and I wasn't sure how long he would last.  
  
I had already talked to Hope through telepathy and told her about Yusuke, but I hadn't mentioned Hiei. I wasn't sure if he'd pull through yet, and I didn't want her to see him looking like he did.  
  
"Heidi! I'm coming through," I heard my sister grunt. Branches snapped as she pushed her way through the thick branches, and a second later, Adara pushed her way through to the other side.  
  
"Where's Yusuke?"  
  
"I laid him down on the path. I didn't want to drag him through. He's banged up enough as it is. Man, those branches HURT!" She looked down at Hiei and shook her head. Leaves fell from her hair, but she didn't seem to notice that she was covered in broken twigs and leaves. "And he looks bad too."  
  
"Save some energy for Kurama, too. Hope found him. She told me when I told her about Yusuke. I didn't tell her about Hiei though. I didn't want her to see him like this."  
  
"Good thinking. Listen, could you go and keep an eye on Yusuke. We're in the middle of Makai, and I don't really feel comfortable leaving him along when he's unconscious."  
  
"Sure. But remember, don't overdo it."  
  
"I won't."  
  
I seriously doubted this, but I went back through the bushes anyway.  
  
Yusuke was lying in the path, one arm laid carefully over his chest. He didn't look to good. Not as bad as Hiei, because he'd had a healing, but still pretty bad.  
  
I sat down next to him. I wondered if Kurama was this bad. I hoped not, because 1) I didn't like to even think of him getting hurt, and 2) I knew Adara would use every last but of her energy to heal him as well as she could, for me.  
  
I sat on the ground for a good twenty minutes before Adara emerged, carrying Hiei. She looked tired, but Hiei looked much better.  
  
"He had to many scratches to count, and most of his ribs were broken or cracked. You were right not to move him; he may have punctured a lung if you had. I did what I could, but like with Yusuke, it wasn't quite enough. Not if I'm going to heal Kurama as well. Where'd Hope say they were?"  
  
"About ten miles down the path from where we started. Right in the trail."  
  
"Okay, here's what we'll do. You need to get Hiei back to the temple and fast, so Hope doesn't see him. Put him straight into a bed, and let Yukina take over from there. I'll go to Kurama, and then Hope and I will follow you to the temple."  
  
"Okay," I said. "How long do you think I have to get back?"  
  
"We'll be about half an hour behind you. And Heidi?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Hurry."  
  
//Cause tomorrow's another day  
  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
  
So bring on the rain//  
  
~Hope's POV~  
  
I stared down at Kurama, thinking about how bad he looked. And I couldn't help thinking: did Hiei look like that? Was he lying somewhere, just waiting for death to claim him?  
  
No, I thought firmly. He's fine. He's just...fighting on his own. For...for revenge or something. He just...can't come back to me yet.  
  
But I was fooling myself, and I knew it. Hiei would come back if he could walk at all. He'd know I was worried, and he wouldn't want that. So he was either to injured to come or...  
  
No. I wouldn't think like that. I wouldn't.  
  
"Hope!"  
  
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Adara's sudden appearance. Yusuke was propped up on her shoulder.  
  
"Adara!"  
  
Adara leaned over and laid Yusuke down gently next to me, and knelt down by Kurama. Looking him over, she sighed and said, "And I'd hoped he'd be easier."  
  
I could see how tired she was. Yusuke must have been pretty bad, I thought.  
  
"Well, just do what you can," I said.  
  
She didn't answer; she just leaned over and placed her hands on Kurama's chest. She closed her eyes, and I closed mine too. I wanted to get a picture of Hiei in my mind, and keep it there.  
  
His face came into view in my mind, and he smiled at me, flashing his sword. I smiled at him, and he disappeared. I snapped back to reality, and saw Adara once again, her hands on Kurama's chest, eyes closed in concentration.  
  
We must have sat there for ten more minutes before Adara opened her eyes and pulled her hands back. She was gasping and shaking with exhaustion, and she looked unhappy. "That's it. I can't do anymore. I took care of his internal injuries, and healed up his leg as well as I could. Yukina won't be able to do anything; these types of injuries are beyond her skill, since she's not a full-trained healer yet. I wish I could do more." Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet. "Let's go. I want to get them back to the temple.  
  
Leaning over, she grabbed Yusuke by the arm and lifted him, shaking with the effort. "Take Kurama, will you? Don't worry, his leg'll stand it. I managed that much. Barely." She sounded frustrated.  
  
I leaned over to pull Kurama up, and then we started back, on the long road to the Ningenkai, and Genkai's temple.  
  
* * *  
  
Nearly two and a half hours later, we finally got there. It wouldn't been two hours but for Yusuke and Kurama, who had remained unconscious the whole time.  
  
I knew something had happened as soon as we got inside and the place was empty.  
  
We heard voices from one of the bedrooms, with the door closed. The voices sounded worried.  
  
And I knew then.  
  
Hiei.  
  
//I'm not gonna let it get me down  
  
I'm not gonna cry//  
  
~Adara's POV~  
  
Yusuke  
  
You dimwit! How could you get yourself hurt like that? Why did you have to go off in the first place? If you don't come out of this perfectly fine, I...will...KILL YOU! Of course, you have to wake up first. It's been two days! Why aren't you or Kurama or Hiei awake yet? You should be fine! Oh, when I get my hands on you...  
  
I stopped writing to glare at Yusuke's still form on the bed for a second before going back to my journal.  
  
Well, I'll have to forget the punishment for now, since you are not awake to enjoy it.  
  
Hope isn't happy with us at all. We still won't let her see Hiei, even though he's no worse than you or Kurama. For one thing, she still isn't eating, so we're trying to bribe her into it by telling her she can see Hiei if she does. It's not working though. And for another thing, she's at a rather unbalanced emotional point right now, and we have no idea what she may do, good or bad. We don't want to take the chance of her seeing him and giving him the good beating you all so richly deserve. At least, not until he can defend himself, which is what I'm waiting for too.  
  
Sighing, I closed my journal. Any more threats and I may start in on Yusuke for real, defenseless or not.  
  
But even though I was so mad at him, I couldn't help thinking about how bad he looked, lying so still on the bed, just like he had been two days ago.  
  
Looking at the clock, I realized that it was time for lunch. I wasn't at all hungry, but I ate anyway, to keep everyone else from worrying. I stood up and waited patiently for the room to settle back into place. I always got dizzy now when I stood. I knew it was from lack of sleep, but though I'd tried sleeping a few times over the past days, it never worked. I also knew I should have took a long rest after healing Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei, but I hadn't. I'd stayed up with Yusuke all that night, and the next, and the one after that, and now I was looking at another long night, it seemed.  
  
In the kitchen, I took a loaf of bread from the cabinet and some cold chicken and ham from the fridge. Ad I made my sandwich, I thought about the same thing I'd been thinking about for the past two days.  
  
What if they died? What if my powers didn't come through? If I was too weak to save them...I'd never forgive that. And though Yukina had done what she could, she had quite a bit more practice ahead of her before she could become a full-fledged healer.  
  
I finished my sandwich and picked up my plate, coming to the same conclusion I always did. I'd just have to wait. If things were meant to go the way we wanted, they would. If they weren't, there was nothing I could to. I'd have to accept things either way. I couldn't save everyone I tried to heal. That was the first thing my mother taught me when she was training me to heal. She made me remember the possibility, however slim, that anyone I used my powers on may die, no matter whether I'd used them on that person before or not. Not everyone could be healed by the magic, just as the magic could not be wielded by all. Rather, it was the ones selected by the magic itself, good or evil, who could use them. The magic chose its wielders, but they could also choose who the healing magic was used on, if they could choose nothing about the other elements of magic. And though I knew my magic worked, I did not know to what extent. I never could.  
  
And so I could only wait and hope with all my heart that the magic chose the path I wanted this time.  
  
When I had first trained to be a healer, I hadn't thought I'd be able to deal with the constant thought that I would never be able to save everyone, no matter how hard I tried. I had gotten used to the fact after awhile, but it always made me sad to think of.  
  
I realized that I had been standing in the middle of the kitchen for the last five minutes, thinking. Shaking myself mentally, I walked back to Yusuke's room.  
  
I stopped short at the door. There was a clatter as my lunch dropped to the floor.  
  
Yusuke was sitting up, looking decidedly bewildered. When my plate fell, he turned slowly to look at me. His face broke into a smile. "Hey," he said. "Any chance of a guy getting some lunch around here?"  
  
"Y-Y-Yusuke!" I cried.  
  
My anger at him disappeared all at once, and I rushed over to hug him. He looked even more puzzled then.  
  
"What's going on here?" He asked. "You never hug me."  
  
"I'm just so relieved!" Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I blinked back tears. "I was afraid the magic might not come through this time."  
  
"What are you...oh!" A very guilty look crossed his face. "You...you must be pretty mad at me."  
  
"I do want to kill you, yes, but there'll be time for that later. Right now I just want to hug you until you turn blue."  
  
He looked away, and his guilt was replaced by sadness. "I'm sorry, Adara. I wanted to come back so badly. But I had no choice."  
  
"You don't have to tell me now, Yusuke," I said quietly, leaning over to kiss him. "Just promise me you'll tell me when you're better."  
  
"I will," he said, putting his good arm around me. "But what about Hiei and Kurama? They're okay, right?"  
  
"I did what I could, but I had to spread myself awfully thin." I sighed. "I just don't know, Yusuke."  
  
Brushing my last words aside, he took my chin in his hand and looked me in the eye. "You do look tired," he commented. "Please tell me you've gotten *some* sleep lately."  
  
"I don't like to lie, remember?"  
  
He groaned. "Adara..."  
  
"Well, what can I say? You scared me to death. But maybe I'll be able to get some sleep now," I said, laying my head on his shoulder. The room spun again, but at the moment I didn't even care if I passed out.  
  
Yusuke smiled. "Good. You just go to sleep. You need it. I think I'll catch a few winks myself." He reached down and pulled the covers up, pulling them over my shoulders.  
  
I laid my head on his shoulder again and smiled to myself. "This is much better than a chair," I said.  
  
I was about to drop off when Yukina came to the door. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak. I felt Yusuke shake his head, and I wanted to smile at Yukina, but right then I just didn't have the energy. The last few days were taking their full toll on me, and the only thing I had the energy to do was close my eyes. My last thought before I fell asleep was, I hope Kurama and Hiei wake up soon...  
  
//And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight//  
  
~Heidi's POV~  
  
"Heidi-chan!" I jumped. I'd been sitting by Kurama's bed, holding his hand, but now I whipped around to face Yukina.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yusuke-san is awake!"  
  
I felt a faint spark of hope. 'So the magic worked/"  
  
"Hai. He's awake and sitting up, and he'll be fine, as far as I can tell!"  
  
"Then if they worked on Yusuke, they should work on Kurama and Hiei too?"  
  
"I do not know for sure, Heidi-chan. But I do have higher hopes now."  
  
I smiled. "I bet Adara's happy."  
  
"I would not know. Adara-chan is asleep now."  
  
"About time. Thanks for letting me know."  
  
"Of course." Yukina gave a little bow.  
  
"Why do you always do that to me and Adara?" I asked, annoyed.  
  
"Why, it is polite. You are the queen," Yukina said, as if shocked.  
  
I glared at her. "I...hate...being...a...ruler!" I said through clenched teeth.  
  
Yukina laughed and bounced off. I glared after her for a moment, then turned back to Kurama. He looked exactly the same as he had two days ago. No better and no worse. "Come on, Kurama. Why don't you wake up?"  
  
He didn't so much as twitch.  
  
I lost my temper. "Kurama, you are so stubborn! I'm convinced that you're staying out just to annoy me!"  
  
He didn't move.  
  
"Argh! Fox, you are beginning to get on my nerves! If you don't wake up soon I'll...I'll...I'll burn all the roses in the yard!"  
  
His hand twitched.  
  
"Kurama?" Twitch.  
  
I reached out and took his hand. He didn't move. I sighed. I had hoped he'd wake up. But his hand twitched twice and that was all.  
  
But I kept hold of his hand. It gave me comfort, if it did nothing to help Kurama.  
  
I looked at the clock. Almost ten. I was tired. I leaned my head back against the chair and closed my eyes. "And I meant what I said about the roses, Kurama," I murmured.  
  
His hand suddenly tightened on mine, briefly. His grip was weak, but there was no doubt in my mind that it had tightened for a second.  
  
I looked at his face. His eyelashes were fluttering slightly. I held fast to his hand. "Kurama?"  
  
Very slowly, his green eyes opened and fixed on me, and a weak smile crossed his face.  
  
I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and he reached up and brushed it away.  
  
"Don't cry," he said. "Not for me."  
  
"Kurama..."  
  
"So you were going to burn my roses, huh? Shame on you, Heidi," he teased, a grin crossing his face.  
  
That was all it took. I started to cry for real, and then I threw myself on him, crying into his shirt. He put his arms around me and pressed his lips against my hair. "I thought I told you not to cry," he said gently.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said, wiping my tears away as I sat up. "I can't help it. I was so scared..."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Two days since we found you, but I don't know how long you were out before that."  
  
"And the others?"  
  
"Yusuke just woke up. And Hiei...well, if Adara's magic worked on both of you they should work on him too, right?"  
  
"Fair logic." He reached up again to brush my hair from my face. "You're tired, Heidi. Have you and Adara and Hope gotten any sleep lately?"  
  
"No. Adara's asleep now, but Hope...we won't let her see Hiei, and she's angry."  
  
Kurama smiled. "Well, you go to sleep now. I'm going to myself. Man, I'm *tired*.  
  
Smiling, I crawled into the bed. Laying my head on his chest, I closed my eyes.  
  
//Cause tomorrow's another day//  
  
~Hope's POV~  
  
"I'm going to kill that koormie," I muttered, slamming a plate down on the table. "She's going to die a horrible death. I'll make sure of it. Who does she think she is, keeping me away form Hiei like that. SHE'S HIS SISTER, for crying out loud! She's got to know how worried I am...it's been two days...I'm gonna kill her..."  
  
And with those words, I slammed another plate down, slammed the cabinet door, and marched to Hiei's room. I threw the door open—why it was locked if I wasn't allowed in, I'll never know—and snapped, "Okay, Yukina. I don't care what you say. There's no reason I can't be in here, and..."  
  
"I know," Yukina said simply. She's been kneeling over by the bed, leaning over Hiei, making it so I couldn't see him.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"I know you're right. I have no right to keep you out. It's just that...he's no worse than Yusuke-san and Kurama-san, and they've already woken up, but..."  
  
"But what? If he's fine, then why have you been keeping me out?"  
  
"Because though you may not realize it, you are emotionally unbalanced right now. You couldn't have handled it this morning, much less two days ago."  
  
"What do you mean, I couldn't handle it? I was completely fine...I still am!"  
  
"No, Hope-chan. You are mentally unstable. You won't even eat!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"That's an imbalance. If a person sinks too deep into grief, she starts to become emotionally unstable. You, unlike Adara-chan and Heidi-chan, couldn't deal with the fact that Hiei-san was gone. You just sank into denial and gave it no thought. You wouldn't talk to us...your *friends.* You couldn't deal with it, and you know it. We couldn't risk letting you see him. You would have lost it. I know it. They all looked horrible. But now...I'm sure he'll be all right, and I'm pretty sure you can deal with it, now that I've given you an explanation." She sighed. "And I'm not sorry I kept you out. I did not need your worries adding to mine. I know you expect me to be, but I am not. Not at all. So come over here and stay if you want, but don't expect an apology, because you will not get one."  
  
I was kind of surprised at her explanation, and that she was not at all sorry, but I didn't question it. Looking back, I actually realized how foolish I'd been acting. And childish. And...well, unbalanced.  
  
But most of all, I realized that I'd been selfish. While Heidi, Adara, Koenma and Yukina had been searching, I'd sat inside, not eating, or sleeping, or talking. I'd ignored the fact that they were missing, and they could have died. Hiei could've died. I could've done something to help, but I just sat inside, being miserable.  
  
Idiot! I thought. Yukina's right! You have no right to even be here! You did nothing to help!  
  
"I-I'm sorry," I whispered. "Hiei, I'm so sorry."  
  
"What in the name of Makai are you sorry for?"  
  
I thought at first that I'd finally lost it. But Yukina was staring at Hiei's bed too, eyes wide.  
  
"O-oniisan?"  
  
"What in the seven hells is going on here?" Hiei muttered, trying to sit up.  
  
"Hiei!" I screeched, starting toward him.  
  
Yukina held out a hand. "Don't disturb him! I need to..."  
  
"Yukina." Hiei sounded weak, but firm. "Leave her alone. She'll be able to explain why I am...what am I doing in a BED?"  
  
Yukina looked surprised, and a little hurt. "I'll just...leave then," she said in her quiet way.  
  
"Yukina..." Now Hiei looked pained. "Yukina, I'm sorry..."  
  
"No, it's okay, really. I'll go...check on Kurama-san and Yusuke-san." Smiling faintly, she left, leaving me alone with Hiei.  
  
I gazed at him, tears slowly filling my eyes.  
  
Hiei noticed this, and looked uncomfortable. "Don't you start crying on me."  
  
But I couldn't keep the tears from my eyes, and soon, they were spilling rapidly down my cheeks. "Hiei!" I cried out, and threw myself at him.  
  
//And I'm thirsty anyway//  
  
~Yusuke's POV~  
  
When I opened my eyes again, everything was exactly the way it had been when I'd gone to sleep. Adara was still asleep on my shoulder, motionless, and I was still propped up on the headboard of the bed.  
  
I smiled as I looked down at her. She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in weeks. I knew she'd been too worried. I was very lucky she hadn't killed me yet. Suddenly feeling very affectionate toward her, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.  
  
Then I realized that my arm was dead asleep. I tried to move it without waking Adara, but as I shifted, she opened her eyes. Looking up at me, her face broke into a smile, and she sat up to kiss me on the cheek. "So it wasn't a dream," she murmured. "You really are okay."  
  
I nodded. "Sorry I woke you. I didn't mean to, honestly."  
  
"Don't worry about it..." she trailed off in a yawn she tried her best to hide, and I felt another wave of affection. "How's your arm?"  
  
"Better, actually. Much better."  
  
"Are you hungry or anything?"  
  
"Kinda, but I don't need to eat right now."  
  
"Good, then I don't have to go anywhere."  
  
"You're awake!"  
  
We both looked at the door.  
  
"Oh, hello, Yukina," Adara said.  
  
"Good morning, Adara-chan!"  
  
"Morning?" She asked, confused.  
  
"Yes. It is almost eight. Neither of you moved all night."  
  
"Oh. So...how is everyone?"  
  
"Heidi-chan is still asleep in Kurama-san's room. He woke up last night too, as did Hiei-san."  
  
"That's wonderful!" Adara said.  
  
"It is, Adara-chan. All four of them are asleep, and I plan to let them stay that way. They're all tired."  
  
But that plan ended up going down the tube. I heard four thuds, some voices, and then a great banging and slamming around the kitchen.  
  
"Sounds like the invalids are hungry," Adara remarked.  
  
I smiled. "Let's go get some food."  
  
When we left the room and walked down the hall to the kitchen, we saw...  
  
Chaos.  
  
Heidi was arguing with Kurama about how he shouldn't be up yet, while pouring orange juice into glasses to set on the table. Kurama was frying bacon while telling Heidi that he was perfectly fine and very hungry. Hope was standing next to the open freezer, arguing the same thing as Heidi. Hiei was scooping liberal amounts of chocolate ice cream into a bowl, and his only reply to Hope was, "Hn." Yukina was arguing with both of them very loudly while cracking eggs into a pan. The result was five people arguing loudly with each other and no one paying any real attention to any argument against them.  
  
Adara sighed. "Yusuke, you set the table. I'm going to make some sausage."  
  
No one took much notice of us except to say, "Good morning" as we crossed the kitchen. I took seven plates from the cabinet and closed it.  
  
Then I ended up taking out another one when Kuwabara burst through the door. "Any news?" He asked before he even closed the door behind him.  
  
"Hey, Kuwabara," I said. "Will you be joining us, then?"  
  
He stopped short. "U-Urameshi?"  
  
"In the flesh. And you haven't answered my question," I told him, trying not to laugh.  
  
"When...how...WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"  
  
"Okay, let me lay it out for you. We are making breakfast. We are making a lot of breakfast. You just came in. Will you be joining us?"  
  
I said all this very slowly, and as I did, Kuwabara's face turned redder and redder. But when I finished, all he said was, "I'm sorry I couldn't go with you guys."  
  
"Why? You would've gotten hurt too."  
  
"I did want to come, you know. But you guys skipped out while I was at the hospital with Shizuru."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"The accident Shizuru had the night before you left. She got hurt real bad...she's still in physical therapy, so I couldn't come after you guys because I had to help her. I wanted to, though."  
  
"Look, idiot, are you hungry or what?"  
  
"Yeah, actually. So where's the food?"  
  
"Wait for it, fool," Hiei said, his mouth full of ice cream.  
  
Kuwabara just grinned. "Hey, shrimp," was all he said as he went over to sit on the counter.  
  
Hiei glared. "WHY must you always call me that?"  
  
"You are rather small, Hiei," Kurama said, grinning.  
  
"Shut up, fox boy."  
  
"Food's up!" Heidi said brightly, warding off any further argument.  
  
Hiei was the only one who didn't make a run for the stove. He was still working on his pile of ice cream. The rest of us, however, dove for the bacon, eggs, and sausage, grabbing what we could before the rest was taken. Even the dignified Kurama was snatching everything he could reach.  
  
Once we were all sitting down again, Adara asked, very casually, "So...uh...where have you guys been for the last two years?"  
  
There was sudden silence around the table. Hiei, Kurama and I looked at each other, but we didn't say anything.  
  
"Yusuke?"  
  
I turned to her. Her eyes were gentle, but I knew she could flare up any second.  
  
"We deserve to know," Heidi said. "We searched for you constantly for two years, and we never gave up. You could at least tell us why you didn't bother to come back or even send word so we'd know you weren't dead."  
  
"Hope almost wasted away, and who knows? I could've been next, or Heidi, or Yukina," Adara said.  
  
"I will never understand a ningen's way of slowly killing itself because of grief," Hiei grumbled.  
  
"So? Are you going to tell us?" Adara asked.  
  
I sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you."  
  
//So bring on the rain//  
  
***I decided there would be one more story in this series, called "Help Pour Out the Rain." Unfortunately, like this one, it could take awhile to get up, because I have writer's block and I still have a lot more to put before the story's over—if I finish it at all. But I'm not getting enough reviews, which leads me to believe that people don't like this story, so I may not finish. I don't know yet. I need feedback, people!  
  
And another thing: I'm sorry if this story had too much fluff and such in it, and not enough violence for you death-lovers. But I LOVE fluff and I was feeling in the mood for it when I wrote this. It was three in the morning and I had just drank six cans of Dr. Pepper, so I was a little nuts...  
  
Also, again, I am SO SO SO SO sorry this story took so long to get up!!!! I AM SO FREAKING LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!! *bangs head on wall* But it can't be helped. I can just say I'm SORRY!!! I need to stop being so lazy...how long has it been since I put the last story up? At least a month or two, I know. But hey, at least I updated and finished this story...which is more than SOME people can say...*cough* Rose Thorn *cough*...even if I may not finish the series. Tell me honestly whether you want me to continue.  
  
One last thing: I know it's a reviewer's job to give constructive criticism, and also have every right to flames, but know two things: if you flame, at least have the guts to sign your name to it—unless you're scared of me, which is kinda dumb seeing as how you've never actually seen or met me—and flames WILL be laughed at. I have written a lot of books—novels, not just fanfic stories—and I'm looking for a publisher for my newest one, so you should know that laughing at my grammar or spelling is pretty pointless, because you can be sure that misspellings are just typos and nothing more. If you think I have grammar problems, let me know, and SIGN YOUR NAME, but prepare to be told off by the author!*** 


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